The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-06-06
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Gt Place In tho Country.
Tho Insurance Monitor has published a
limo book Of two hundred pages which
contains tho result Of many yearn Of labor
and tho examination Of moro than Ave
thousand storms. The book is by Lieu.
tenant John P. Finley, Of tho U. 3. Signal
Corps, a gentleman who Is conceded to DO
among the best, II no. in fact tho best, au.
thority on the subject OF tornadoes in the
world. Tho facts cited and the conclu.
aions reached are Of great general interest
and especially valuable to insurance com.
panies writing tornado policies.
We learn from Lieutenant Finley that
in no other country In 1.-THE world Is scourged
by tornadocs as the United States Of
America" The geographical position and
the topography Of the country arc iavora.
BILE for tho conditions which give rise 10
their formation, and SO wo must accept as
true the unpleasant assBrance that "the
populous region Of the United States is
forever doomed to the devastation OF the
tornado"
Continuing, in his effort to impress the
American people with q proper ssnse Of
the danger to life aud property to be ex.
pected from tornadoes, Lieutenant Finley
sayH:
The coming and going Of theae storms
are as certain Es death, yet adequate
means OF protection for the body and for
properly are strangely ignored! A prac!i-
| cal knowledge Of the various kinds Of
stormU known to the United States should
be II Of the subjects Of instruction in
our public schoola. AS the country in.
crosses In wealth aud population, which
1t now Ia doing with wonderful rapidity,
the danger to be apprehended from the
violence OF wind storing is appalling. For
merly these violent msteors left no mark
upon the t~reeless and uninhsbited prairie,
or II pacing through the wooded regions
there remained but the "Iindiall" to de-
note the track OF tho monster, bat now
the farmhouse and the villS2e dot the
plain, and the hardy lsborer has forced
his way with his family into the depths Of
tho forest. Where, years before, there were
but insnimate objects to mark the fury Of
the tornado, precious lives md hard
earned property now succomb to Its yio-
lenco. The funnelshaped cloud with ito
tail lashing the earth must now pursue a
most tortuous courae TO avoid the farm
house and the mill, the schoolhouse and
the church. The best evidences OF civil.
zstion and material prosperity auler un-
told misfortune, and must continue to do
SO while our earth has an atmosphere
and the sun shines uponit. This state OF
things, which upon first consideration
may Cause alarm and encouragement,
should upon reflection give rise to cour.
sgeous efforts in the direction OF occurring
indemnity from loss Of property, and 5es-
tsblishing provisions OF Hsfetyl for human
life. The protection OF life and property
from fire, shipwreck and disease has com.
PEELED the growth. Of institutions under
authority which afford q cafe and gener-
Gus Naturalization in case Of loss a Sim
liar necessity in the event Of destruction
by wind RtoImH must call for tho growth
and support Of similar institutions.
The whole number of tornadoes OBJ
served in the United States during a Pc
Rod OF .205 years ending with 1856 was
1867. A study Of thene stormn is given as
follows:
Q) The rotary movement OF the whirl-
ing tornado cloud Is in five hundred and
twenty cases reported as sgsinst the
hands Of q clock, and tventy-nine cases as
probably moving with the hands Of a
clock.
(2) Electrical Discharged were observed
In two hundred and fity-two ceses IS oc-
curing in tho clouds surrounding the Tor.
nado cloud that is, in the clouds near the
horizon; and in eighty.iour cases as oc-
curing in the funnel cloud.
(3) The width Of the path OF dcslruc.
ton, supposed to embrace the distance be-
tween tho aseas Of sensible winds on the
two aides OF the tornado c!oud, varied in
l,167 cases from 10 10 l0,5G0 feet, the aver.
age being 1859 feet.
|. (4) The length OF the tornado's track, as
reported in 1856 caaeg, varied from 900
yards to 800 miles, the average being 24.70
miles,
10y Tie velocity OF progression OF the
tornado cloud, OF determined from the re-
ports in col cases, varied from seven TO
100 miles per hour, the average being
4i.13 miles.
t6} The shortest time occupied By the
tornado cloud in passing G given point,
varied from IAN instant" TO about twenty
minutes; the average being about seventy.
four aeconGs.
~ The occurrence OF thunder etorms
in relation to .orradoes 10 reported upon
as follows: In 2S7 cssea they occurred be-
fore the tornado cloud appeared; in 1l3
cksee, accompanying the tornado cloud;
in 81 cases after tho disappearance Of the
cloud, and in eight cases their entire
absence was. noted.
(8) Concerning the time OF occurrence
oil the %torpadoep, the hours ot.greateat ire.
quency are found 10 be from $3.50 10 4 r. N.
and from $50 to 5 +. N.
10y The State in which the greatest
number Of tornadoes occurrad 10 Missouri,